Reconstruction:Proto-Ryukyuan/sai

This Proto-Ryukyuan entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Ryukyuan

Etymology

Compare Middle Korean 사ᄫᅵ〮 (sàWí) (Celik 2024:unicog_v1.xlsx, entry 3783).

Pronunciation

• Tone class: C

Noun

*sai

1. shrimp, crawfish

   Synonym: *ebi

Descendants

• Northern Ryukyuan:
  • Kunigami: しぇー (shē /⁠ɕɛ̂ː⁠/, “Paratya compressa”, tone class C)
  • Northern Amami Ōshima: さい (sai, “small shrimp”)
  • Okinawan: せー (sē /⁠séː⁠/, “grasshopper”), せーぐぁー (sēgwā /⁠séːgwáː⁠/), しらせー (shirasē /⁠ɕíɾáséː⁠/, “crawfish”)
  • Yoron: さい (sai /⁠sàí⁠/, “giant clam”, tone class B)
• Southern Ryukyuan:
  • Miyako:
    • Ikema: さい (sai, “shrimp”)
      • Nishihara: さい (sai, “shrimp”, tone class C)
    • Irabu:
      • Nagahama: さイ゚ (/⁠saɿ⁠/, “shrimp”)
      • Nakachi: さイ゚ (/⁠saɿ⁠/, “shrimp”)
    • Tarama: しゃイ゚ (/⁠ɕaɿ⁠/, “shrimp”)
      • Nakasuji: しゃイ゚ (/⁠ɕaɿ⁠/, “shrimp”, tone class A)
    • Minna: さい (/⁠sai⁠/, “shrimp”, tone class B)
    • Minaai: さイ゚ (/⁠saɿ⁠/, “shrimp”)
    • Uruka: さイ゚ (/⁠saɿ⁠/, “shrimp”)
  • Yaeyama:
    • ⇒ Ishigaki (Shika): さいなー (sainā /⁠sáínáː⁠/, “crawfish”, tone class BC)
    • Taketomi: さい (/⁠səi⁠/, “shrimp, crawfish”), さいなー (/⁠səinā⁠/, “river shrimp”)